| Title | Zircon from altered monzonite rocks provides insights into magmatic and mineralizing processes at the Douay Au Project, Abitibi Greenstone Belt |
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| Author | Mathieu, L ;
Wasuita, T D; Sherlock, R; Speidel, F; Marsh, J H; Dubé, B; Côté-Mantha, O |
| Source | Geosciences vol. 12, issue 114, 2022 p. 1-29, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12030114  Open Access |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2022 |
| Alt Series | Natural Resources Canada, Contribution Series 20220045 |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; digital; on-line |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Ontario; Quebec |
| NTS | 32E |
| Lat/Long WENS | -80.0000 -78.0000 50.0000 49.0000 |
| Subjects | mineralogy; igneous and metamorphic petrology; syenites; carbonatites; intrusions; gold; magmatic deposits; hydrothermal systems; Abitibi Greenstone Belt |
| Illustrations | location maps; tables; photographs; composite sections; images; plots; geochronological charts; Concordia diagrams |
| Released | 2022 03 02 |
| Abstract | Zircon provides essential information on the age and oxidation state of magmatic systems and can be used to characterize magmatic-hydrothermal Au mineralizing systems. Using the Douay intrusion-related
gold system (IRGS) as a type example of Neoarchean syenite-associated mineralization (Abitibi greenstone belt), we demonstrate that zircon from altered quartz-monzonite rocks can also be used to infer the age of a magmatic-hydrothermal event. Here,
zircon chemistry is used to identify the following sequence of events at the Douay exploration project: (1) the crystallization of zircon at ~2690 Ma in evolved residual melts with distinct U-contents (quartz-monzonite magma); (2) the extensive
radiation damage for the U-rich grains over a period of ~10-15 My; and (3) the alteration of zircon grains at ~2676 Ma by interaction with magmatic-hydrothermal mineralizing fluids derived from syenite and carbonatite intrusive phases. This study
also distinguishes extensively altered zircon grains from pristine to least-altered zircon formed in distinct magmatic environments using a Th/U vs. U discrimination diagram. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
This article presents results of a study of the magmatic rocks that host the auriferous mineralization of the Douay deposit in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue
region of northwestern Quebec. The chemistry of zircon, a common mineral in magmatic rocks, allows to document the deposit formation. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 330004 |
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